Thursday, December 22, 2016

Bible Origami Review


“Bible Origami” Summary:
Keep your children’s hands busy during church services with Bible Origami. Instead of folding the service programs into paper airplanes, they can fold Noah’s ark, an oil lamp, or Joseph’s coat! As you develop the unique skill of creating these simple-to-intermediate origami designs, you will find opportunities to use them with all ages for lessons, activities, crafting, and everyday fun!


About The Author:
Todd Huisken is a licensed marriage and family therapist and the counseling manager at LDS Family Services in Fountain Valley, California. He attended Brigham Young University and the University of San Diego and has a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. Todd has served as the assistant director of Disaster Mental Health Services for the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross. He has worked with victims from the San Diego fires, Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, and spent two weeks in Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010. He was an early morning seminary teacher for six years. He is the author of The Dating Directory and the founder of Process and Content, a graduate program newsletter at the University of San Diego. Todd has been married to his beautiful wife for twenty-one years and they have three daughters and a son.


Our Thoughts:
We love this paperback book! Origami is such a great hobby and these designs are definitely better than paper airplanes. While some of the projects in this book are simple others are quite involved. Each one has what skill level is required. There are a total of three skill levels. There are a total of 24 designs from the Old and New Testament. These have all the steps from start to finished design. Some designs even have more than one part to follow, while others need scissors to be finished. Each origami design also has "Did You Know?" facts about the item or passage in the Bible. These are really interesting and I learned all sorts of neat things from these. This book would be wonderful to incorporate with bible lessons, activities, crafting, and everyday enjoyment! Also great to keep children's hands busy doing something Biblical during church services for quiet, more reverent children.

I am a little disappointed though that all the pictures inside the book are all in black and white and are just drawings of the step-by-step folds. While this is still very helpful, I am very visual and would also love color representations of each of the finished designs after the instructions end, for each. I love that they do have some of these color pictures on the front and back cover of the book. I know that if done, that this would bring the cost to publish the books up, but I think that it would be eye pleasing and worth it to the author.

The author was so very kind enough to give us an envelope full of origami paper along with the book so that we could try some of the designs out ourselves with the instructions. We made the fox and the dove so far. The instructions were straight forward and easy to follow. It helps though that you get an overview of origami folds in the beginning of the book. You might want to brush up on these before you dive in, especially for the more advanced pieces.


BUY IT
Besides Bible Origami the author, Todd Huisken, has two other fun origami books: Mormon Origami and More Mormon Origami.






DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

Monday, December 19, 2016

Babushka: A Christmas Tale Book Review


I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Babushka A Christmas Tale is a dusk-jacketed hardcover children's book written by Dawn Casey and illustrated by Amanda Hall. This classic Russian folk tale is about an old grandmother that loves to have a tidy home. One night while working on her chores she hears a knock on the door and invites three travelers inside to rest and have a bite to eat. She hears their story of where they are headed and is intrigued. After the three travelers are warm and well fed they get up to leave and ask if Babushka would like to travel with them. Politely she declines since after all, she is not done with her chores. The next morning she wakes and decides to find the baby the three spoke of and starts off on her own with handmade gifts in a basket. On her journey she cannot find the tracks of the three men, but finds others that are in need and helps them each with a gift from her basket.

This story is a wonderful tale that will warm your heart during the chilly winter. It reminds you and your family of the true meaning of this joyous holiday season. The lovely illustrations capture Russian folk art and bring this tale to life with patterns and color. I love that this story has a wonderful moral and theme of sharing love with others. The generosity of the old lady should remind us of how Christmas should be, a holiday of giving. I recommend it as the perfect gift for anyone for the Christmas season!

BUY IT


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Leonard's Beard Book Review


I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Leonard's Beard Summary:
Each day Leonard’s beard grows longer and longer, and more wild and untamed, but he doesn’t notice because as a writer, he is so engrossed in writing his stories. After a large storm passes over his house, Leonard discovers just how out of control his beard has gotten. He finds strange things that have gotten stuck in there, including a mouse, a bird, and some apples. As Leonard removes the items from his beard, he comes to realize that being consumed with writing adventures has prevented him from having his own. For ages 3-6.

Our Thoughts:
The book, Leonard's Beard, written and illustrated by Nancy Cote is so adorable! We love the sweet, funny illustrations on each of the 32 pages! This book got giggles from my girls as they read what Leonard had to pull from his beard. Aside from the lyrical words of the story that rhyme and wonderful illustrations, this book has a great message. You've likely heard the age old adage: “Energy flows, where attention goes”. This holds very true in this book. It shows how important it is to give attention to where it needs to go and live your life to the fullest. We should have adventure, play, fun, friendship, family, discovery, passion, inspiration, and also love life, not just write these things in stories or live in our fantasies. Such a great message in a wonderfully written and illustrated book! I recommend Leonard's Beard very highly!

BE SOCIAL
Website: http://www.nancycote.com/ 
Read about how the author and illustrator got the idea for this story HERE.
Nancy’s Twitter: @nancycote31
Nancy’s Instagram: @nancycote31
Nancy's Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/people/14778565@N02/ 

BUY IT
 

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Give a Novica Gift for Christmas, Review and $35 Giveaway


I received a $35 gift card free from Novica to facilitate this review and the opportunity below to giveaway another $35 Gift Certificate. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

NOVICA helps change the lives of artisans in developing nations, while offering us extraordinary handmade gifts, jewelry, apparel, and home decor. There are so many talented artists and artisans around the world. NOVICA provides these unique, hard-to-find items on their internet website at great prices. These services are all fair trade, meaning that they don't charge the artists and artisans any listing fees and the artists and artisans remain fully independent. They are free to raise their prices, lower their prices, or remove their items from their website whenever they please. This website is great to buy something from for your special someone for Christmas, just remember since these items are coming all the way from the country they are made in, the shipping might take longer than expected.


I received $35 to spend on Novica. I love the variety and eclectic feel to Novica. I sought out something unique to bring a welcoming knock to my farm house door. I purchased a Horse Door Knocker called 'Horse Arrival' which is made out of copper plated brass that has an antique look with a lacquer finish. It is so very perfect for welcoming guests into my home. This horse head door knocker is hand crafted by Khalid Ali, an artisan in India, and inspired by the ancient Mughal style. It even came with the iron screws to mount it. This door knocker gives an ambience of dignity and grace and also has a neat feel of the orient. At a little over a pound in weight, this has got some beef to it. I love the way it looks and hope it lasts a long long time out in the elements. I cannot wait to install it!


This brass door knocker 'Horse Arrival' can be found in decor accessory categories such as Animal Themed Decorative Hardware. Enjoy exploring these sections for other Novica treasures.

WIN IT
Prize: Win a $35 Gift Certificate from NOVICA (This GC Expires 1/31/2017).

I run giveaways with Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to NOVICA for sending me a $35 gift certificate for free to review a product off their website and one $35 gift certificate to give away for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review of their website. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Cricket Media #DoubletheGiving Magazine Subscription Campaign and Giveaway


Cricket's "Double the Giving" Campaign
It's not too late to give the gift of reading this holiday season with a subscription to one of Cricket Media's award-winning parenting magazines. Any gift-giver purchasing an annual print subscription to one of four different Cricket publications will also deliver the gift of reading to a child in an underserved community through two award-winning, charitable partners: Libraries Without Borders and Parent-Child Home Program, both 2016 Library of Congress Literacy Award Winners. Each subscription bundle to BABYBUG (ages 6 mos.-3), LADYBUG (ages 3-6), SPIDER (ages 6-9) or CRICKET (ages 9-14) is priced at $29.95 (regularly $33.95), and is guaranteed to spark a life-long love of reading! Gift-givers can select between two charitable organizations to receive another 9-issue annual print subscription. Go to DoubletheGiving.com to find out more!


Cricket Media has been around for 40 years and has some wonderful annual traditions. And a long-time favorite of Cricket fans has been FREE printable cards for the holidays! For the 2016 holiday season, Cricket Media has selected 10 of their favorite holiday illustrations and created beautiful cards for you to share and send to loved ones.

To print them out, visit FREE HOLIDAY CARDS and follow the instructions.

Social Corner
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cricketmedia
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cricketmediainc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cricketmediainc/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/CricketMediaInc/

BUY IT
Each subscription bundle to BABYBUG (ages 6 mos.-3), LADYBUG (ages 3-6), SPIDER (ages 6-9) or CRICKET (ages 9-14) is priced at $29.95 (regularly $33.95). Gift-givers can select between two charitable organizations to receive another 9-issue annual print subscription. Go to DoubletheGiving.com to find out more!

WIN IT
Prize: Win an annual subscription to any of the “bug” magazines being offered in the campaign: BABYBUG (ages 6 mos.-3), LADYBUG (ages 3-6), SPIDER (ages 6-9) or CRICKET (ages 9-14) {US Only}.

I run giveaways with Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this post to let my readers know about this freebie and opportunity to give back. I will be getting a subscription and giving one away here for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else.

Saturday, December 10, 2016

The Book of Kringle: Legend of the North Pole Book Review



The Book of Kringle: Legend of the North Pole is a children's book with gold foiled hardcover by Derek Velez Partridge with Mary Packard and illustrated by David Wenzel. This tale is a story about the North Pole, elves, Santa Claus, and magical reindeer. This however isn't the story you are probably familiar with. Kris Kringle has a evil brother that rules the North Pole with darkness...even Kris. The battle between light and dark has started between the two brothers and the elves go to find Santa, the one, truly kindhearted soul who could bring back laughter, play, and Christmas to the world. Could they do it in time?

This book is eloquently written and gorgeously illustrated. I love the storyline which is a classic battle of good and evil. My girls who are 8 and 6 enjoyed reading this book and looking at the elaborate illustrations. This book is truly magical. It is a wonderful, heart warming book that is perfect for the holiday season.

Social Corner
Website: http://www.thebookofkringle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebookofkringle/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookofkringle
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeR_BeWupT-RcKzClgxQZ2w

BUY IT


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Jesus Is Born Book Review


Jesus Is Born is a dust-jacketed hardcover children's book retold by Sophie Piper from the story of the birth of the Savior and closely echoes the words of the Bible. This story is adapted from passages of the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. The text starts from the angel Gabriel's great visit with the Virgin Mary and ends with King Herod's decree and how the Holy Family must flee to Egypt so that baby Jesus stays safe from harm. This children's book is illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert with detail-rich colored pencil drawings. These are visually stunning and each picture reverently portrays the nativity story beautifully. Along with the narrative this is a lovely book that is perfect for the Christmas season.

This sweet retelling is a wonderful book to have children turn to for learning about or helping remember the story of Christmas. I love that this book helps us get into the true spirit of the Christmas season and is in language that young ones can understand. The exquisite illustrations are phenomenally well done. I love looking at the elaborate drawings. My daughters love this book. This will be one that we will cherish for years to come. I recommend it as the perfect gift for parents, grandparents, and children for Christmas!

BUY IT


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Edushape Marbulous Marble Run Review


The Marbulous Marble Run from Edushape is a fun marble maze toy that will help your child's imagination zoom. This fun, action-packed marble track set is loaded with extra marbles so there is no need to purchase them separately. The sturdy colorful plastic tracks fit together a lot of different ways so that the child can build a different track pathway every time. It is so much fun loading the marbles and watching them twist, turn, and roll down the track. Develops fine motor skills, socialization, spatial relationship, logic & reasoning, hand-eye coordination, visual sensory development, creativity, imagination, and more. Includes 80 pieces and 20 marbles. Compatible with all Edushape Marble Runs and more! Appropriate for 4 years and up; $39.99

What Is Included:
  • 80 Pieces: including bells, spinning pieces, bases, straights, tunnels, slides, shoots, etc. These are sturdy plastic and have vibrant colors.
  • 20 Marbles: These are colorful glass cats-eye marbles.
  • Instruction Booklet: has different designs that you can build from start to finish. These designs range from easy to hardest and more complex.

My daughters having fun with the Edushape Marbulous Marble Run.

What We Thought:
We loved this awesome marble run! The pieces fit together well and easily, even for my 6 year old. I loved that this set had marbles that already came with it because so many do not. The instruction booklet was mostly easy to understand and comes with pictures for each of the builds in it. Some of these builds were a little confusing because the pictures missed steps in between others, so you had to really try to understand the pictures well to get the pieces together like they had it in the booklet.  My kids loved putting the tunnels, shoots, slides, bases, etc. together mostly on their own to make the ultimate obstacle course for the marbles to shoot down and sometimes they would race marbles to see who would come to the bottom first. This is a great toy for them to play with together. Putting these pieces together they learned that some designs work better than others. I loved watching their faces as the marbles raced down the run and made it to the very end of the track! So priceless! My little engineers love this and so do I! It keeps them occupied and entertained.

I highly recommend the Edushape Marbulous Marble Run! I do not, however; recommend this to smaller children because of small pieces and choking hazards. It would make a great gift for a child 4 and up and is part of my Holiday Gift Guide!

BUY IT


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!